Following the recent flooding in Baton Rouge and many other parishes throughout Louisiana, the Art Therapy Pedalers are offering an art therapy experience to anyone interested. Please pass this information along to anyone who may need a moment of creative, rejuvenating activity.

The Art Therapy Pedalers will be appearing on the "OutSpokin" radio show on Tuesday, October 6. It's on WHIV, which can be heard at www.whivfm.org or 102.3 FM on Tuesday night from 7 pm to 8 pm. We hope you'll tune in!Also, if you want to join in some artmaking, Holly is doing therapeutic art making groups at the Broadmoor Arts and Wellness Center Monday nights in October:5:45 to 6:45 for teens, and 7:00 to 8:00 for adults.It's $15 and no registration is required.Just show up, make art, and feel good!

As we come to the 10 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Art Therapy Pedalers are planning events to encourage creativity in the city we love. We will be riding around New Orleans on Saturday, August 29th, and making art with people in different neighborhoods. Then, we will be facilitating a free art-making event that afternoon at the Keller Library in Broadmoor. Please join us! See the flyers below for more information on this event and other upcoming art therapy opportunities in the New Orleans area.

The Art Therapy Pedalers visited Nepal last year (not on bikes, of course), and we have been devastated to see the terrible effects of the earthquakes. We are hosting an artmaking event in New Orleans to raise funds for disaster relief. As always, no artistic skills are needed. Just a willingness to relax and make art in a supportive environment. Here are the details: Wednesday, May 27 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at Euphorbia Kava Bar, 8726 Oak Street. $15 donation goes to the International Medical Corps. Adults only. Hope to see you there!

The Art Therapy Pedalers will be at the Draw-a-Thon from 10 am to 12 pm. Here is some information on the event, which has moved to 519 Elysian Fields: http://press-street.org/drawathon/Hope to see everyone there!

We made it to New Orleans! Holly, Bert, both bikes (Scout and Curly Sue), and the mobile art therapy trailer (Booty) all arrived at our destination on November 4, 2014, without falling apart. Our expected breezy ride into the city along the levee trail crashed into the reality of a massive levee-raising construction project. So, instead of coasting like champions on the levee into Audubon Park, we were forced to gut it out on River Road for the final 5 miles with no shoulder, no safe stopping point, and many irritable drivers. Finally, to our surprise, we were greeted with a bicycle lane. Good job, New Orleans! Thanks for acknowledging us! We immediately road a victory lap around Audubon Park, and then went to our friends Pam and Lee's house to make art. We just can't stop. Which brings us to our next point: our project isn't over! We are still riding our bikes and making art around New Orleans. We spent a day at the Harriet Tubman Charter School on the West Bank, and there is an free artmaking event this weekend in Algiers. Be sure to check the calendar, and also subscribe for updates (there is a button on the home page and then you have to confirm with an email that will probably go to your junk box). You can also follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/arttherapypedalers). These are all ways to find out when the book is coming out, when the art show is happening, and when we are making art at your house, as well as any other upcoming events. Thank you all for helping us spread the artmaking message up and down the country!

We crossed the state line into Louisiana and Holly swore she could hear the parades waiting for us in New Orleans. It is both exciting and sad to be so close to our destination. But there is still much bike riding to do, and even more art to be made. Stay tuned for announcements of events throughout New Orleans, especially the art exhibit; if you live in NOLA, don't be surprised if we show up at your doorstep with art supplies sometime in the next two weeks.

Arriving at Baton Rouge General Hospital to offer art making in the lobby. Thanks to art therapist Tiffanie Brumfield for setting everything up for us. Plus, we got to ride our bikes right into the hospital.

The beautiful set-up of Perry's respite for cyclists near Jackson, LA. We had a wonderful, relaxing, and refreshing stay with her after riding a torturous 80 miles from Natchez. We were spoiled by her amazing meals. (black rice! beans and quinoa! salads!)

Holly makes art with three awesome adventurers from Quebec. They are riding with their parents across the globe! Really! We finally caught up with them in Mississippi after hearing tales of them throughout the Delta and Mid-South. Check out their website: www.10piedssurterre.org

Another form of artmaking: Holly writes a message to one of the little French-Canadien girls on the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Riding through the flat, cotton-filled landscape of the Mississippi Delta, sometimes we don't see people for hours at a time. However, when we do get to a town, the people we meet are so incredibly friendly and helpful. So, here are several photos of people making art, followed by a few photos of the kind souls who saved us and made our trip possible.

This is Deak drawing with us at his harmonica store in Clarksdale. He also made our day by playing a few blues songs.

We found these wonderful women at The Attic gallery in Vicksburg. Lesley Silver has an awesome gallery and was extremely excited about our project. She was once quoted, "you need art to breathe." We love her!

We met Judy while making art in the Horn Lake library. It was starting to storm and she invited us to stay with her family. Dick and Annie spent some time making art with us as well. They saved us from a stormy, wet night in the tent.

We met Dave and Cindy at a campground in Clarksdale, and they are from Iowa. The showers and bathrooms were broken, but they offered us the use of their facilities in their camper! They also took us out to hear music, gave us coffee in the morning, and convinced us to stay an extra day in Clarksdale.

Pat Thomas (blues musician, artist, and all around great guy) was super excited to draw with us. We made a special trip to the Blues Museum in Leland to meet him.

We made art with the entire bar at The Wine House in Vicksburg. If you look closely, you will see the mayor and G.C. Cameron of "The Spinners" and "The Temptations." That's right, we make art with the big dogs.

String Bean and Carol let us stay with them in Rosedale. They wanted to make sure we had "a roof over our heads, our butts were clean, and we were 100 percent satisfied."

Holly sets up the art supplies for anyone interested at the Hot Tamale Festival in Greenville. Little did she know that she would soon be surrounded by dozens of kids eager to make art with her!

We made it to Memphis, and the amount of cool people we met exploded! Lots of musicians and artists and all-around friendly types, and we had an interesting and exciting trip.

We met Sue in a bathroom, and ended up staying two nights in her house! She was a great hostess, and we had a wonderful time making art and laughing with her and her sister Joyce. We were so happy to have met her and her family, especially after the freezing cold campground the previous night.

Holly and Michael, otherwise known as baggypantsrich. He's on tour like us, and he's often lost like us. We got along well.

Laura and Angus are from England and they stayed at the hostel with us. They are on their honeymoon!

This is Kyle: musician, artist, lover of all things Disney and Frozen. He is standing here contemplating whether to join us on our bike trip.